About 6 of the ex-roses that are in the “rose bed” here, and one of the good ones, have gone back to the rootstock. The good one has rootstock canes thriving at the base.

My question is, I thought all rootstock was briar, but somebody was asking “what type of rootstock?” and I think I gave the wrong answer.

It arches out in a fairly straight cane, flowers all along the cane, about 21 petals (let’s get technical). Dark red and profuse blooms, not sure if will keep flowering over time or if Spring is “it”.

The previous occupant of the house (tenant) hacked the roses something shocking, also the soil was not maintained and the level has fallen about 6” by my reckoning.

So what type of rootstock do I have, and is it useful?

http://scvrs.homestead.com/Rootstock.html

During the 18th and 19th centuries there
was a great exchange of plant material
and horticultural knowledge between
countries. It seems quite likely that Rosa
fortuniana was sent to America
sometime in the early 1900’s. The
earliest mention of it use as a rootstock
was in 1903 in Australia. A rose grower
near Perth was short of stock and
decided to bud some plants onto
Fortuniana stock; the vigor and
floriferousness of Fortuniana became
apparent, and continues in Australia and
New Zealand even today. The popularity
of Fortuniana grew like wildfire.

Think I might have to put a picture up…the Fortuniana seems to be a white rose and the ones I have are red…hardly any thorns… no scent…

I know the one you mean Dinetta. I’ll find a picture.

Here we go. I have encouraged the rootstock to grow up the verandah at Casterton. It is now more extensive than in this photo, going up to the verandah roof also:

And this is a big download (2.4M) of a closeup:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/lizza_06/VerandahRose1.jpg

And a couple of years later I found some of the ‘real’ rose still existed (it flowered!) so I have been nurturing that along too at the bottom. It’s a magnificent red highly perfumed large tea rose. I’m not sure if I’ve photographed it though.

I found this on a heritage roses website:

Rootstock
Host plant to which selected rose varieties are grafted. Most commercial growers propagate new plants by grafting cuttings to a rootstock. The advantage of rootstock is that many roses, especially modern cultivars, have weak root systems. The primary rootstocks used are Rosa multiflora for acid soils, ‘Dr. Huey’ for alkaline soils, and ‘Fortuniana’ for sandy soils. The issue of whether “own root” roses or grafted roses are better is one of the enduring debates of rosarians, and each technique has its advantages. R indica major was a commonly-used rootstock in Australia in the past, and survivors are often seen in old gardens.

This is the website. Looks interesting:

http://www.heritage.rose.org.au/glossary.html

And I’m going with “Dr Huey” for mine, anyway:

http://www.google.com.au/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=622&oq=rose++%27Dr.Huey%E2%80%99+&gs_l=img.12…2019.7183.0.9232.7.7.0.0.0.0.309.1282.2j1j3j1.7.0…0.0…1ac.1j2.1n52WpfxZZE&q=rose%20%27Dr.%20Huey%E2%80%99&orq=rose++%27Dr.+Huey%E2%80%99

Thanks for the photos Buffy, I am on broadband so they downloaded no worries.

The close-up certainly looks like mine, it’s amazing that they grow so well! It looks like the bed I was planning to move them to, is a good idea as it’s right beside a neighbour’s fence. I was going to grow passionfruit there but maybe I can grow both, can’t see my rootstock catching up to yours any time soon!

I have one here on the front fence too. I just keep twining it into the wire and shearing it back with the hedge clippers. It’s very flashy when it is out. I can’t recall if it comes again, but I think it does. I like the lack of thorns. A lot!

I seem to have nearly filled up the View by Time column…..

Now I might shower and read and nap before going to archery later in the afternoon. Ah….holidays!

buffy said:

Here we go. I have encouraged the rootstock to grow up the verandah at Casterton. It is now more extensive than in this photo, going up to the verandah roof also:

And this is a big download (2.4M) of a closeup:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/lizza_06/VerandahRose1.jpg

And a couple of years later I found some of the ‘real’ rose still existed (it flowered!) so I have been nurturing that along too at the bottom. It’s a magnificent red highly perfumed large tea rose. I’m not sure if I’ve photographed it though.

Yep that looks like the description provided by Dinetta. Now all we need too do is name it. It obviously appears to be a rootstock worthy of keeping as a trailing rose in Australian conditions. Now all we need to do is put a name to it and add some of the research done on it..

Firstly it is one of those on the first link I posted. ie: Dr. Huey.

“Abstract:
South Australia is one of the main rose producing states of the Commonwealth, especially in proportion to its population. According to the latest statistical collection in 1974–75, almost 600,000 rose plants were grown; over half of these were sent interstate. The traditional rootstocks have been Rosa indica major (commonly but incorrectly called ‘Boursalt’) for dwarf budding and R. canina for stem or standard production. Both of these rootstocks suffer from certain disadvantages. R. indica major can give very erratic bud-take during autumn budding and will sucker under some conditions. R. canina also suckers badly and gives unreliable strike of cuttings.

For these reasons, several South Australian growers are turning to the rootstock ‘Dr. Huey’ for both dwarf and stem production.

‘Dr. Huey’ was originally bred as a garden rose in 1914 by G.C. Thomas in California, U.S.A. and it was not until 1940 that its potential as a rootstock was recognized but by the early 1950s it was being grown as

Full text: IPPS members ISHS members & pay-per-view
(PDF 82256 bytes) “

“Dr. Huey, is a vigorous moderate rambler that will grow to 3 m. Left to its own devices, the slender canes form a mounding shrub.”

“Dr. Huey, is commonly found at old home sites, because it has been used for years as a rootstock for Hybrid Tea roses. When the grafted rose dies, the Dr. Huey rootstock spouts and thrives. The primary bloom is in the spring.”

Thanks RoughBarked…will have to wait for the camera to travel out here in the care of it’s owner…I’m amazed at just how hardy these rootstocks are…

Fortunately the Iceberg has not succumbed, it’s still whole and hearty…tough little fellers, Icebergs, and they flower like the dickens…

Dinetta said:

Thanks RoughBarked…will have to wait for the camera to travel out here in the care of it’s owner…I’m amazed at just how hardy these rootstocks are…

Fortunately the Iceberg has not succumbed, it’s still whole and hearty…tough little fellers, Icebergs, and they flower like the dickens…

hmm, I just closed all the links I was reading .. Ah.. here it is:

Rose sickness, according to Christopher Lloyd, is more correctly called “Specific Replant Disease”. In his wonderful book, “The Well-Tempered Garden”, 1970: p239, Lloyd refers to the “mysterious soil-borne disease whose existence has been known for over 200 years but whose causal agents have yet to be identified”. He identifies this disease as what we know as rose sickness.

Certain rootstocks are resistant. For this reason.. Rosa multiflora is a huge weed problem in the USA: “Multiflora Rose ( Rosa multiflora ). Order From Csiro Publishing, Pob 1139, Collingwood 3066, Victoria, Australia. Multiflora rose is a thorned bramble perennial plant that now infests more than 45 million acres throughout the eastern half of the United States.”

For the majority of roses I think it is easiest to plant a cutting. If any of the cuttings show problems with your conditions and you’d still like to grow them then the rootstocks mentioned are resistant.. all that is necessary after that is to keep the grafted rose scion wood alive, because the rootstock is trying it’s best to survive.